Corner-brace for bedsteads



Y (Model.)

1W.-lutJPARLAlvD. CORNER BRAQB 'PoR BBDSTEADS.

Patented Dee. 20,1881.

' INVENTOR MAMAN.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES v UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCFARLAND, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

CORNER-BRACE FO R BEDSTEADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,267, dated December20, 1881.

Application filed October 11, 1881. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM MCFARLAND, ofTrenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Im provementsin Corner-Braces for Bedsteads; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to corner-braces for bedsteads or other furnitureand means for supporting the same in place.

Heretofore bedsteads have been provided with cornecbraces attacheddirectly to the side and end rails of the bed by cutting away orInortising the latter to form dovetail bearin gs for the braces, whichare formed with enlarged heads to Iit the bearings. This construction isdefective, for the reason that mortising or ehiseling thebearings in theedges of the rails necessarily weakens the latter to some extent, and asthe bearings are out in the top edge of the side and end rails only to adepth sufficient to retain the brace Hush with the rails, the frame ofthe bed which may be placed upon them will rest above the rails and haveno side bearing to retain it in position.

The object of my invention is to provide the side and end rails of abedstead with bracesupports removably secured to the rails, and tocombine .with said supports an improved corner-brace, as fully describedhereinafter.

The invention consists in the improved cornerbrace and the combinationsof parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofa bedstead provided With my improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe corner-brace, and Fig. 3

' represents detail views of the brace-support.

A represents the side rails, and'B the end rails, of a hedstead, havingthe legs a. To the inner side of each of said rails, at a pointneartheir ends and about midway of their height, is a counter-sink, b,adapted to receive a plate, C, preferably of metal, whose edges are ushwith the side of the rails, and which are held thereto by screws orequivalent means, c. The countersink, however, may be dispensed with andthe plate attached to the surface of the rail. These plates are formedwith vertical lugs D, one on each side thereof, whose inner sides arebeveled or undercut, so that the space between them is wider at the topthan at their lower ends, thus adaptingthem to receive and retain acorner-brace, the end of which snugly tits the space between the lugs D.The plate C, I preferably construct of diskform; but it is apparent thatit might be made of square, diamond, or other form without departingfrom my invention.

E represents a cornerbrace, formed with the enlarged ends or heads d,the wide bearing e, and webf. The headsd are oppositelyinclined, andhave their side edges, d, beveled to adapt them to the lugs of one ofthe plates C of the side rail and the adjacent plate of the end rail.

The heads tit between the lugs and are firmly held there, thus securelybracing the side and end rails together and giving the bed a reliablecorner-connection.

v It willbe observed that the brace E, when in position as shown in Fig.l, is considerably below the top edge of the rails, and thisarrangement, in connection with the wide bearing e, is designed toconstitute a desirable support for a spring or other bed having a rigidframe. The latter is placed upon the bearings e of the braces at eachcorner of the hedstead, and said bearings being below the upper edge ofthe rails, side and end bearings againstthe rails are secured for thebed-frame.

In order to have the brace E as light as possible, due regard being hadfor strength and durability, I form it with a web, j', below thebearinge, instead of casting it in a solid piece of equal thickness,which would be heavy and cumbersome.

The plates andrbraces may be manufactured at little cost, and may bereadily applied to a hedstead, and the latter thereby securely braced.The bed may be easily taken apart by simply removing the braces.

It will be apparent that the use of my improvement need not be limitedto bedsteads, since it will be found equally applicable to many otherarticles of furniture, such as tables, desks, chairs, Sto. Therefore,whileIhave illustrated in the drawings only a bedstead and have designedthe brace primarily for such use, I would have it understood that I donot IOO confine myselt to that particular adaptation of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the rails ot'a bed,

-of a brace-supporting plate adapted to be secured to said rails, andprovided with inclined undercut lugs which form a wedge-shaped bearingfor the ends of a brace, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, With an end rail of a bed provided with abrace-supporting plate having undercut lugs, and a side nut providedwith a similar plate, -of a corner-brace Whose ends respectively engagewith said end and side plates, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the side and end rails of a bedstead, ofbrace-supporting plates secured to the inner sides of the rails andprovided with inclined lugs, and a corner-brace one end of which isadapted to engage with the lugs of the adjacent plate of the end rail,thus forming a diagonal corn er-brace, subst-an tially as set forth.

4. The combination, with an end rail of a bed provided with abrace-supporting plate adapted to be secured to said rail and providedwith undercut lugs, of a side rail provided with a similar plate, and acorner-brace adapted to fit said end and side plates, and having a broadiat top bearing, e, to receive a bed-frame, substantially as set forth.

5. A cornerbrace for bedsteads, consisting of heads d', to engage withretaining devices, a flat top bearing, 6, and web portion f,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

. WILLIAM MCFABLAND.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. MiLLEE, RoBER'L` S. VANDEWATER.

